The Gurgaon administration has issued show cause notices to law firms JSA Advocates & Solicitors and Trilegal for allegedly violating directions restricting physical office attendance to 50% of their total workforce amid rising air pollution concerns in Delhi-NCR.
The notices, issued by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Badshahpur, on November 5, 2026, followed inspections at the firms’ offices at Godrej GCR, Sector 42, Gurgaon. The inspections reportedly found that both firms had more than half of their employees physically present at their respective offices, in contravention of directions issued by the Deputy Commissioner, Gurgaon.
According to the notice issued to JSA, approximately 87 out of 117 employees, or nearly 74% of its workforce, were present at its office on the ninth floor of JSA Godrej GCR. In the case of Trilegal, approximately 160 out of 262 employees, or nearly 61% of its workforce, were found present at its offices on the 18th and 19th floors of the same building.
The notices stated that the alleged conduct prima facie amounted to a violation of binding directions issued by the Deputy Commissioner in compliance with measures prescribed by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).
The CAQM had issued directions under Section 12 of the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021, prescribing precautionary measures to prevent and control air pollution for the period between November 5 and November 20, 2026.
Pursuant to these directions, the Deputy Commissioner, Gurgaon, had issued an order on November 3 requiring all private offices in the district to ensure that no more than 50% of their total staff strength attended office physically, with the remaining employees working from home.
Both law firms have been asked to explain why action should not be initiated against them under Section 14 of the CAQM Act, 2021, and other applicable laws. They have been granted 24 hours from receipt of the notices to submit their written explanations.
The firms have also been directed to furnish details of their actual employee strength, attendance registers or biometric records for the inspection dates, rosters implementing the 50% attendance requirement, and details of employees permitted to work from home. They may also submit documentary evidence in support of their defence, including any grounds for claiming exemption under the order.
The administration has warned that failure to respond within the stipulated period, or submission of an unsatisfactory explanation, may lead to further proceedings under the CAQM Act and other applicable laws without further notice.
The notices are preliminary in nature, and no final finding of liability has been recorded against either law firm.